Gyratory crusher concave adjustment



May 29, 1956 H. H. RUMPEI.

GYRATORY CRUSHER CONCVE ADJUSTMENT Filed July 10, 1955 III A TroR/VEJ/s.

United States Patent "Ofi ice 2,747,594 Patented Pviay 29, i956 GYRAronYcnUsHaR CoNcAvn ADJUSTMENT .Harvey H. Rumpel, Whitefish `Bay, Wis.,assignor to Smith Engineering Works, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation ofWisconsin Application Juiy 10, 1953, Serial'No. 367,196

12 Claims. (Cl. M11-2556) This invention relates generally Vtoimprovements in gyratory crushers for rock, vo're'and other hardsubstances, `andrelates more speciiicaliy to improvements in the .con-.structionand mode of manipulating .the parts of`a gyratory crusher inorder to eiect relative adjustment ofthe crushing members.

Theprimary object of .the present invention is`to pro vide `simplifiedand more efficient mechanism fonelect- -.ing relative adjustment of thecrushingmembers of a vgyratory crusher and for positively retainingthese. members in various adjusted positions.

In gyratory crushers .intended for thel production .of a .relativelytine and .uniform nal product, it.is very `desirable .to have thecooperating crushing .head and concave members accurately adjustablewith respect to eachother, and to maintain these members in variouspositions of relative adjustment, inorder to insureproductionof acommodity having the desired uniform size. 'In this type of Crusher, thecrushing head is ordinarilygyratable withinya fixed frame .and coactswith bearings which .retain .its crushing surface in fixed position,while [the .crushingconcave which cooperates with thehead toy providethe crushing chamber is adjustably supported by the -frame so that itscrushing surface may be .periodically .moved toward oraway from theheadsurface either-in orderto .compensate for wear on the cooperatingcrushing .surfaces,.or to vary the sizeof the "linalproduct, .or toefiectaccess to the head and concave surfaces.

.As .shown and described in my Patent No. 2,668,015, granted February 2,1954, .it hasheretofore been .pro- .posed to .provide the main frame .of.sucha Agyratory .Crusher with an annular upright wall provided.withextervnal screw .threads while the concavemember supportis providedwith internal vscrew threads coacting withithe :fram-e threads so thatthe concave may be manipulated to..cause its crushing surface .to movetoward or away fromV the .crushing surface ofthe head. .In ordertoeffect .rotation andresultant movement of the concave crushingmember-its supporthas an annular series OfeXternal teeth with which amanually operable pawl is cooperable, and inorder toeffect lockingor-positive holdingiof `the concave in various adjusted positions aVclamping ring vnut alsocoacting with the external screw threadsof theframe -wall and adapted vto clampingly .engage anend :surface vof theconcave support is provided, This ring nut-alsohas asimilarannularseries of teethwithwhich '.the .samefmanually operable paWlcoacts while -thenut is being released or driveninto clamping position.

-When manipulating the locking ring nut'of suchra man- .ually operableassemblage, it is diiiicult todrive'themut tinto locking 'engagement`with `the frame wall and with thefc'oncave support,without causing thelattertofrotate and thereby moving the concave crushing ``surf-ace 'out'f `its adjusted position. It is also diicult with-suchassembly,torelease the locking ring'nut'whenit is desired `to maltea'newv adjustment, 'because the ring 'nut'andthe concave 'support 'tendto adhere to each other and 'to rotate simultaneously. In order toeliminate such undesirable actions,.it has been found highly desirableto positively hold the concave against possible rotation both whenthelocking ring nut is being driven into locking position and when itis'being released, and it has also been found advantageous to providepowerful means such as a .fluid pressure actuateddam-for effectingoperation of the lock nut.

it is-therefore an important object of my present invention to providean improved gyratory Crusher embodying a screw thread adjustment for theconcave crushing member and a locking ring nut for maintaining theconcave in adjusted position, and wherein the concave member is adaptedto be positively held against possible movement while .the nut is beingmanipulated.

Another important object of this invention istogprovide improvedmechanism for eecting assembly, adjustment, yand dismantling of thecrushing members of a gyratory `Crusher .having a screw threaded frameand a concavesupport adjustably associated with the screw threads of theframe.

A further important object of the invention is to-provide an improvedmode of relatively adjusting the cooperating crushing surfaces of agyratory Crusher =so as to vary the size of the final product and toaccurately maintain these surfaces in various positions of adjustmentinorder to insure uniformity in the product.

lStill another important object ofthepresent invention is to provideimproved power-actuated means .forfacilitating the actuation of theconcave clamping .nut `of.a gyratorycrusher having a screw threadadjustment adapted to compensate .for wear on the crushing surfaces .andwhich alsopermits variation of the gap between these surfaces.

.ing chamber, a concave support having internal .screw threads coactingwith the framethreads to effect movement ofthe concave toward and awayfrom the head, and a clamping ring `also coacting with the framethreadsand with the-concave support to maintain the concave :in variousselected positions.

These and other more specific objects and advantages of the inventionwill be apparent from the following detailed description from which itwill be noted that the gist of the improvement is the provision of agyratory Crusher having a frame provided with a screw threaded wall, aconcave having screw threads cooperable with theframe threads to effectadjustment of the concave relative to the frame, a ring nut also havingscrew threads cooperable with the frame threads and being engageablewith the concave to lock the latter Vin various adjusted positions,means for rotating the nut, andmeans for posi- .tively holding theconcave against possible rotation While the nut is being rotated.

.A clear conception of the features constituting the .presentimprovement, and of the construction and operation of a typical gyratoryCrusher embodying the invention, may be had by referring to the drawingaccom- `panying and forming a part of this specification in which likereference characters designate the same .or Simi- Vlarparts in thevarious views.

Fig. l is va part sectional 'side elevation of a typical commercialgyratory crusher having the improved con- -cave adjusting'and holdingmechanism applied thereto,

the partial sectionhaving been taken centrally and'vertically throughthe crushing chamber;

Fig. 2 is 'a slightly enlarged transverse horizontal sec tion through agyratory Crusher of the type shown in Fig. l, the section having beentaken along the line 2 2, but the adjusting and holding mechanism havingbeen applied to a diiferent corner of the main frame of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section similar to that of Fig. 2, takenadjacent to the concave adjusting and holding mechanism but showing thismechanism in an alternative position or condition of use; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section through a typical hydraulicram for actuating the concave clamp ing ring nut.

While the invention has been shown and described as having been appliedto a particular type of gyratory crusher having a frustro conicalconcave and a semispherical head cooperating therewith, it is not theintent to unnecessarily restrict its use to such a Crusher; and it isalso intended that specific descriptive terms employed herein be giventhe broadest possible interpretation consistent with the disclosure.

Referring to the drawing, the high speed gyratory crusher shown thereincomprises in general, a sturdy main frame 6 having a bored central hub 7and an annular upright outer wall 8 provided with external screw threads9, both the hub 7 and wall 8 being formed rigid with a base plate 10; aneccentric sleeve 11 having an outer cylindrical surface journalled inthe bore of the frame hub 7 and being supported upon a suitable thrustbearing and provided with an inclined eccentric bore 12; an innergyratory crushing head or member 13 supported upon the eccentric sleeve11 and having a depending central shaft 14 journalled for free rotationwithin the eccentric bore 12; a normally stationary outer crushingconcave or member 15 surrounding the head member 13 and having afrustro-conical inner crushing surface cooperating with the externalsemi-spherical crushing surface of the head to form an annulardownwardly and outwardly flaring crushing chamber 16; a coarse materialsupply hopper 17 carried by the concave member 15 in open communicationwith the inlet of the chamber 16 and cooperating with a gyratory feedplate 18 carried by the head member 13 to deliver material to be crushedinto the crushing chamber; a concave support 19 having an annular upperridge 20 cooperable with an outer annular flange 21 on the concavemember 15 to tiltably support the latter under the influence of aplurality of helical compression springs 22 reacting against a fixed topplate 23, the support 19 having an integral depending outer wall 24provided with internal screw threads 25 coacting with the external screwthreads 9 of the annular frame wall 3; a ring nut 26 also havinginternal screw threads coacting with the frame threads 9 and beingprovided with a flat upper surface 27 clampingly engageable with abottom flange 28 formed on the support wall 24; an annular series ofteeth 29 formed upon the periphery of the flange 2S and a similar butindependent annular series of teeth 30 formed on the periphery of thering nut 26; and a power shaft 31 journalled on the main frame 6 andhaving a driving pulley 32 at one end and a bevel pinion 33 at itsopposite end meshing with a bevel gear 34 secured to the eccentricsleeve 11 to rotate the latter.

All of the foregoing gyratory Crusher structure including the coactingscrew threads 9, 25 formed on the frame wall S and concave support wall24 respectively, and the ring nut 26 coacting with the screw threads 9and having a flat top surface 27 engageable with the lower flange 28 ofthe concave support 21 to clamp the latter in various positions ofadjustment, are shown and described in my prior patent above identified,but in this prior structure the concave support 24 and the ring nut 26were rotatable by means of the usual manually oscillatable pawl and nomeans were provided for positively holding the support 15 againstrotation whenever the nut 26 was rotated. In accordance with the presentimprovement, the square base plate 10 or" the main frame 6 may beprovided with several corner bosses 36, each having therein severalholes for detachably receiving an upright pivot shaft 37 provided with avertically adjustable collar near its upper end. Swingably suspendedfrom one of these shafts 37 above the collar and in approximatelyhorizontal alinement with the ring nut 26 is a power device such as ascrew jack or a hydraulic ram 38 having a cylinder 39 and a plunger 4G,both exposed to an intervening ,displacement chamber 41 as illustratedin Fig. 4. The displacement chamber 41 is connected by a flexibleconduit 42 with a source of liquid under pressure such as a pump 43having the usual release valve for the pressure fluid, and the cylinder39 and plunger 40 are connected to each other by a tension spring 44which is adapted to retract the plunger 40 when the relief valve isopened. The closed end of the ram cylinder 39 has an eye fixture 45swingable about the adjacent pivot shaft 37, while the outer end of theplunger 40 has an arcuate shoe 46 pivotally attached thereto andprovided with a lug adapted to alternately engage the successive teeth30 of the nut 26 on opposite sides of the pivot shaft 37 as illustratedin Figs. 2 and 3.

Also swingably suspended from the same pivot shaft 37 above the ram 38and in approximately horizontal alinement with the flange 28 of theconcave support 24, is a holding strut or arm 4S having a pair ofoppositely directed lugs 49 at its outer swinging end. These lugs 49 arealso adapted to alternately engage the successive teeth 29 of theconcave flange 28 on opposite sides of the pivot shaft as shown in Figs.2 and 3. The ram 38 and the holding arm 4S may be swingably suspendedfrom either of the corner posts or shafts 37, and since these elementsare utilized primarily for the purpose of locking or clamping theconcave 15 and its support 24 in various positions of adjustment and forreleasing these parts when a new adjustment is to be made, and alsobecause the range of such adjustment is never very extensive, a manuallyoperable pawl arm 50 pivotally attached to a hand lever 51 cooperablewith the other pivot shaft 37 may also be provided as shown in 1Eig. 2,for more rapid rotation of the support 24 and ring nut 26 beyond therange of action of the ram 38 and arm 48. The clamping ring nut 26 isalso preferably connected to the frame 6 by means of a telescopic sealsurrounding the screw threads 9 as illustrated in Fig. 1 and as shownmore in detail in my prior patent above referred to.

When the various parts of the improved gyratory crusher have beenconstructed and assembled as shown and described, and power is appliedto the pulley 32 to rotate the eccentric sleeve 11 through the shaft 31and gearing 33, 34, the head member 13 will be gyrated while the concavemember 15 wil lnormally remain stationary. Material to be crushed maythen be admitted to the upper annular inlet opening of the crushingchamber 16 by the hopper 17 and feed plate 18, and as the admittedmaterial advances through the chamber 16 it will be reduced to thedesired uniform size and the final product will eventually be deliveredby gravity through the lower annular outlet opening of the chamber 16and through the annular opening in the frame 6 between the central hub 7and the upright outer wall 8. If uncrushable material is accidentallyadmitted to the crushing chamber 16 the springs 22 will permit theconcave 15 and its flange 21 to move upwardly away from the normallyfixed concave support 24 thus enabling the abnormally hard material topass through the Crusher without damaging the structure, and while thehead member 13 is positively gyrated relative to the concave 15 it isalso freely rotatable within the eccentric bore 12 in either direction.

During such normal operation, the clamping ring nut 26 will bepositioned with its upper flat surface 27 in firm clamping engagementwith the flange 28 of the concave support 24 so as to lock the concavemember ftinued operation.

:manson :1`5to theframerwall ASand to preventI movement of Ithe lsupport'24`relative to the frame Y6 andhead member`1'3. YThe Crusher willrthenproduce crushed material of unireadily effected by utilizing one`lug 49of the holding varm 43 to positively prevent rotation of the support 24relative to the frame wall 3, and by operatingthe ram 38 to cause itsshoe -46 to rotate the ring nut 26 ina clockwise direction as viewed inFig. 2, assuming the screw threads 9, '25 to'be right hand threads.After the clamping nut 26 has been thus released, the holding arm -43`should be swung out of'holding position, and the Vhand lever`51=a`ndpawl'50 may thereafter be employed `to'frotate the concave'support '24and'to move'the concave member into the desired new position ofadjustment.

`'When such newly adjusted position of the concave Isupport 24 'has beeneffected,`the ring nut 26 'should againV bereturned to-clampingposition, and this may be done by swinging the holding larm 43 about itspivot lshaft `37 into the position v'shown in Fig. 3, whereupon theopposite lug 49 of this arm will again `engage the adjacent tooth 29 ofthe support 24to positively prevent rotation of the concave member 15relative to the frame 6. The ram 38 should also be swung about itspivotshaft 37 and the shoe 46' should be applied to a tooth 30 vof thevclamping ring nut 26, as in Fig. 3, whereupon the ram 38 may beoperated to rotate' the lring nut in a counterclock- `wise direction asviewed in Fig. 3 until the fiat surface 27 ofthe nut again clampinglyengages the flange 2S of l"the support 24. The manually operable'pawl"50 if used, may of course'be released whenever the holding arm 48 isineffective position, and the pawl 50 or any 'other suitable device, maybe utilized to rapidly rotate both the support 24 and the vring nut 26after the latter has been released from clamping engagement with the`against the pivot shaft 37, but this pressure is counterbalanced andthe shaft 37 is reinforced by the holding arm lil which is subjected totension forces. While the use of the manually operable pawl 5f) may bedesirable kwhen utilizing certain kinds of screw threads '9, 25, it

has also been found that when buttress type screw threads such as shownin Fig. l are utilized, the support 24 and the nut 26 may be readilyrotated with the aid of an ordinary Spanner wrench after thenut 26 hasbeen released from clamping position. rThen too, it is only necessary tohave the concave member 15 formedas a part separate from its support 24in cases where the safety release springs 22 are'employed, so that forall intents .and purposes of this invention these elements may betreated as a single concave unit. The ram 38,:ho1ding arm 48, and thehand lever 51 may also be interchangeably applied to pivot shaftsassociated with any of the four holes in the bosses 38 of the frame 6.

From the foregoing detailed description of a typical gyratory crusherinstailation, it should be apparent that the present invention in factprovides simple and readily manipulable mechanism for effectivelypreventing the concave member 15 of the crusher from rotating andbecoming displaced from a desired position of adjustment whenever theclamping ring nut 26 is being driven home or freleased. The 'improvedram structure while being capable of exertingapowerful force against theclamping'ring 126, is subjected to effective resistance by the holdinglarm f8-capable of counter-acting this force, thereby-protectingthe'common pivot shaft 37 of the ram "38 -and arm 43 from possibledistortion. Any suitable type of ram 38 may be utilized to actuate theclamping ring nut 26 and the arcuate shoe 46 is preferably formed ofsufcient length so that it will contact several teeth 30 simultaneously;and by mounting the ram 38 and'the arm 43 as illustrated so as to swingto either side ofthe Ycommon pivot shaft 37, these elements may beutilized to both clamp and to releasethe ring nut 26. The invention .hasproven highly satisfactory and successful in actual commercial use, andmakes it possible to positively clamp the concave member 15 invariouspositions 'of adjustment while still permitting rapid and-effectiverelease of the clamping effect.

It should be understood that it is'not desired to limit the invention tothe exact details of construction andoperation ofthe type of gyratoryCrusher specifically shown and described herein, for variousmodifications within the scope of the appended claims mayoccurto personsskilled in the art.

I claim:

l. In a gyratory Crusher, a frame having an annular wall provided withscrew threads, a concave having screw threads cooperable with said framethreads to effect adjustment of the concave relative to the frame,"alock nuthaving screw threads also cooperable with 'said frame threadsand being engageable with said concave to lockv the latter in variouspositions of adjustment, means coacting with a fixed part of the crusherfor rotating said nut, andmeans also coacting with a fixed part of'thecrusher for positively preventing rotation of `said concave while saidnut is being driven into locking engagement therewith.

2.'ln a gyratory crusher, a frame having an annular wall provided withexternal screw threads, a concave having internal screw threadscooperable with said external frame threads to effect adjustment of theconcave relative to the frame, a lock nut having internal screw threadsalso cooperable with said external frame threads and being engageablewith said concave to lock thelatter in various positions of adjustment,means coactingwith said frame for rotating said nut, and means alsocoacting with-said frame for positively preventing rotation 'of saidconcave while said nut is being driven into locking engagementtherewith.

3. In a gyratory crusher, a frame having an annular wall provided withexternal screw threads, a concave support having internal screw threadscooperable with said external frame threads to effect adjustment of the.concave relative to the frame, a lock nut having internal screw threadsalso cooperable with said external frame threads and being engageablewithsaid concave support to lool; the latter in various positions ofadjustment, means reacting against a fixed part of said frame foreffecting rotation of said nut in opposite directions, 'and other meanscoacting with a fixed part of said frame for positively preventingrotation of said concave support while said nut is either being driveninto locking engagement with the support or is being released fromsuchen- 1 ing rotation of said concave support while said nut is beingrotated to lock and to release the support.

5. In a gyratory crusher, a frame having an annular wall provided withscrew threads, a crushing head gyratable within said frame, a crushingconcave cooperating with said head to form a crushing chamber and havingscrew threads cooperable with said freine threads to effect adjustmentof the concave relative to the head, a lock nut having screw threadsalso cooperable with said frame threads and being engageable with saidconcave to rmly clamp the latter in various positions of adjustment,means mounted upon said frame for rotating said nut, and other meansalso mounted upon said frame for positively preventing rotation of saidconcave while said nut is being driven into locking engagementtherewith.

6. In a gyratory crusher, a frame having an annular wall provided withexternal screw threads, a crushing head gyratable within said frame, acrushing concave cooperating with said head to form a crushing chamberand having internal screw threads cooperable with said external framethreads to effect adjustment of the concave relative to the head, a locknut having internal screw threads also cooperable with said externalframe threads and being engageable with said concave to lock the latterin various positions of adjustment, means pivotally suspended from saidframe for rotating said nut, and other means also pivotally suspendedfrom said frame for positively preventing rotation of said concave whilesaid nut is being driven into locking engagement therewith and is beingreleased from such engagement.

7. In a gyratory crusher, a frame having an annular wall provided withexternal screw threads, a crushing head gyratable within said frame, acrushing concave cooperating with said head to form a crushing chamberand having internal screw threads cooperable with said external framethreads to effect adjustment of the concave relative to the head, a locknut having internal screw threads also cooperable with said externalframe threads and being engageable with said concave to lock the latterin various positions of adjustment, means for rotating said concave foradjustment purposes, means carried by said frame for effecting rotationof said nut in opposite directions, and other means also carried by saidframe for positively preventing rotation of said concave while said nutis either being driven into locking engagement therewith or is beingreleased from such engagement.

8. In a gyratory crusher, a frame having an annular wall provided withexternal screw threads, a crushing head gyratable within said frame, aconcave cooperating with said head to form a crushing chamber and havinginternal screw threads cooperable with said external trame threads toeifect adjustment of the concave relative to the frame, a loelt nuthaving internal screw threads also cooperable with said external framethreads and being engageable with said concave to lock the latter invarious positions of adjustment, a hydraulic ram for effecting rotationof said nut in opposite directions, an arm for positively preventingrotatation of said concave support while said nut is being rotated tolock and to release the support, and a common pivot tixedly mounted uponsaid frame swingably supporting said ram and said arm.

9. In a gyratory crusher, a frame having an annular wall provided withexternal screw threads, a crushing concave support having internal screwthreads cooperable with said external frame threads to effect adjustmentof the concave relative to the frame, means for rotating said pedia,20th ed., i943, page 59.

support for concave adjustment purposes, a lock nut having internalscrew threads also cooperable with said external frame threads and beingengageable with said concave support to lock the latter in variouspositions of adjustment, means mounted upon said frame for effectingrotation of said nut in opposite directions, and other means alsomounted upon said frame for positively preventing rotation of saidconcave support while said nut is either being driven into lockingengagement with the support or is being released from such engagement.

1i). in a gyratory crusher, a frame having an annular wall provided withexternal screw threads, a crushing concave support having internal screwthreads cooperable with said external frame threads to effect adjustmentof the concave relative to the frame, means for effecting rotation ofsaid support for concave adjustment purposes, a lock nut having internalscrew threads also cooperable with said external frame threads and beingengageable with said concave support to lock the latter in variouspositions of adjustment, a hydraulic ram reversibly suspended from saidframe for effecting rotation of said nut in opposite directions, and anarm also reversibly suspended from said frame cooperable with said ramto positively prevent rotation of said concave support while said nut isbeing rotated to lock or to release the support.

1l. In a gyratory crusher, a frame having an annular wall provided withscrew threads, a concave having an annular series of teeth and alsohaving screw threads cooperable with said frame threads to etfectadjustment of the concave relative to the frame, a lock nut having anannular series of teeth and also having screw threads cooperable withsaid frame threads and being engageable with said concave to lock thelatter in various positions of adjustment, a power ram pivotallysuspended relative to said frame and being cooperable with the teeth ofsaid nut to rotate the same, and means also pivotally suspended relativeto said frame coaxially of said ram suspension and being cooperable withthe teeth of said concave to positively prevent rotation of the concavewhile said nut is being driven into locking engagement therewith.

12. In a gyratory crusher, a frame having an annular wall provided withexternal screw threads, a concave having internal screw threadsrotatably cooperable with said external frame threads to effectadjustment of the concave relative to the frame, a lock nut having anannular series of peripheral teeth and also having internal screwthreads cooperable with said external frame threads and being engageablewith said concave to lock the latter in various positions of adjustment,a pivot mountable upon said frame at different ltocations relative tosaid concave and said nut, power means swingably suspended from saidpivot for alternately rotating said nut in opposite directions, andholding means also swingably suspended from said pivot and beingcooperable with said teeth to positively prevent rotation of saidconcave while said nut is being driven into locking engagement therewithor released therefrom.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS.Rumpel Feb. 2, 1954 OTHER REFERENCES Dyltes Automobile and GasolineEngine Encyclo- (Copy available in the Scientific Library.)

